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June is looming... - Page 2

post #21 of 52
6/8/06 at 1:37pm
I made southwestern "hamburgers" from a recipe I got from my mom this week. Very yummy and helped me use up a can of veg. refried beans and green chilies I had in my pantry. I ate mine crumbled over a green salad with sliced avacado and tomatoes as garnish. The rest of the family had them burger style with cheddar cheese and salsa on WW buns.

Tonight I am making Tom Ka Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) to use up the fresh herbs in my fridge. I know that DH of mine will turn up his nose, so I will probably make a stir fry with the extra chicken along with the asian veggies in the freezer.

Need some ideas to do with the odds and ends of pasta. We've had our fair share of tomato sauce and pasta, pasta bakes, pasta salads and herb parmesean pasta... Any fresh ideas for us? I am starting to thinkthat we should just to a macaroni collage and call it a day!

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post #22 of 52
6/8/06 at 2:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desdamona
Need some ideas to do with the odds and ends of pasta. We've had our fair share of tomato sauce and pasta, pasta bakes, pasta salads and herb parmesean pasta... Any fresh ideas for us? I am starting to thinkthat we should just to a macaroni collage and call it a day!
Just wait a week before serving pasta again... it'll taste better that way!
post #23 of 52
6/8/06 at 7:07pm
:
post #24 of 52
6/9/06 at 9:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by spiderdust
Just wait a week before serving pasta again... it'll taste better that way!
: OMGosh... I nearly spit out my coffee this AM reading this. I'll have to tell the kids the next time I serve escarole that "It's been nearly 3 wks since the last time you had this... IT TASTES BETTER!!"
post #25 of 52
6/9/06 at 11:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attila the Honey
The best lentil burgers I've ever had came from right here on MDC. http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...veggie+burgers

Also, how about lentils in spaghetti sauce and served on pasta? They are surprisingly meat-like that way.

So far I've used a can of beets, a can of corn, a bottle of BBQ sauce, a can of curry paste, a can of coconut milk, a can of pineapple...

Tonight is pizza night, I think, and I have alot of veggies on the verge of not being edible so I will sautee them with onions and garlic before I put them on the pizza.
Mmmmmmm, atilla...sauteing them first. TONIGHT is pizza night, and that sounds great. And thanks for the lentil burger recipe.
post #26 of 52
6/9/06 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desdamona
: OMGosh... I nearly spit out my coffee this AM reading this. I'll have to tell the kids the next time I serve escarole that "It's been nearly 3 wks since the last time you had this... IT TASTES BETTER!!"
Hee! What I meant was that it would seem more appetizing if there was some breakup in the repetition. :nana:
post #27 of 52
6/12/06 at 1:43pm
Thread Starter 

Help, please!!

In the interest of participating in the Pantry Challenge, I have been going through my cupboards to see what's in there , and I have discovered about 15 - 20 lbs of rice (brown, white, wild...)

Besides Spanish rice and stir-fry, what can I make with rice??
post #28 of 52
6/12/06 at 3:47pm
Burritos! I do meat/beans/rice or beans/rice. You could also do roasted veggies/rice.
post #29 of 52
6/12/06 at 4:51pm
I make up rice in the beginning of the week sometimes and use it for anything that needs to be bulked up... meatloaf is great with a little added rice, scrambled eggs taste wonderful with a little sauteed onions and brown rice mixed in, I even eat my brown rice with a dab of butter, cinnamon and nutmeg and a bit of milk for breaskfast on colder days.
post #30 of 52
6/12/06 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desdamona
I make up rice in the beginning of the week sometimes and use it for anything that needs to be bulked up...
How big of a batch do you make at a time?
post #31 of 52
6/12/06 at 6:39pm
Oh, rice pudding, and I also second the rice with cinnamon and nutmeg for breakfast. I have a great rice pudding recipe, if you want it. Also, rice pilaf is yummy, and you can make it a bunch of ways.
post #32 of 52
6/13/06 at 1:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kathirynne
How big of a batch do you make at a time?
Honestly, it depends on what I have planned for the week. I also have been known to make a HUGE pot of rice and divie it up into smaller portions in order to feed my freezer. Really helps with prep time or in my case it help out when I have forgotten to make the rice and there is only 5 minutes till dinner!
post #33 of 52
6/14/06 at 12:01pm
Sigh. We flunked last night. I worked my fanny off deep cleaning the house yesterday (cleaned out the pantry, laundry room, did 20 loads of laundry...no not really, but it felt like it, blinds, behind the stove...) I had the prep work for dinner done (meat thawed, veggies cut), all dh had to do was cook the meat. He was beat when he got home and didn't want to cook, and I sure as heck didn't have the energy to stand in front of the stove. Sooo, we literally counted out quarters and got Little Ceasars. The up side is that we have leftovers frozen for next time. And, the prepwork is done for TONIGHT's dinner, I suppose...

Better to look at the bright side?

As for all that pasta, how about a cold pasta salad? We use all the odds and ends noodles, radishes sliced thin, carrots, celery, red or green onion, peppers, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and either mayo or italian dressing...and if we have canned chicken, turkey, or tuna we throw that in there, too. It's yummy, great for a hot day, and tastes even better the next day.
post #34 of 52
6/16/06 at 7:09pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by courtenay_e
...how about a cold pasta salad? We use all the odds and ends noodles, radishes sliced thin, carrots, celery, red or green onion, peppers, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and either mayo or italian dressing...and if we have canned chicken, turkey, or tuna we throw that in there, too. It's yummy, great for a hot day, and tastes even better the next day.
That sounds so delicious and easy! I have some tinned salmon that I've been trying to figure out how to use up...(someone gave it to me, don't ask! ) This sounds like just the thing! (I am so LOVING this challenge!)
post #35 of 52
6/16/06 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kathirynne
That sounds so delicious and easy! I have some tinned salmon that I've been trying to figure out how to use up...(someone gave it to me, don't ask! ) This sounds like just the thing! (I am so LOVING this challenge!)
It IS quite good, if I do say so myself. We often bring it when we have a summer potluck type party, as it's cheap to make, great to eat, filling, and colorful! I hope you like it (the salmon sounds good, too, have to suggest it to my mom...this salad's one of her favorite summer meals)!
post #36 of 52
6/17/06 at 7:16am
You didn't flunk, courteney_e. Think of how many times you would have done that without the challenge... if you are like me a minimum of once a week!! :

It's getting harder, isn't it? Here we are 17 days into this, over the hump and around here the 'fun and interesting' food has been gone for about 6 days. I am completely over the thrill of cooking big meals out of nothing and we've been eating alot of pbj, sandwiches and soup, pasta and sauce with veggies, homemade pizza. I started out with these big impressive meals and now I don't even want to think about that! Every night I stand in the kitchen looking at my dwindling pantry and talk myself out of spending my bus money on take out. I need a pep talk to get through these last 2 weeks!

Anyone else getting a wee bit stressed at the shrinking pantry? I probably still have more food than most people have (what can I say, it's an illness) but it looks like nothing to me! I hadn't realized how much comfort knowing I had all that food gave me. I am determined to keep going though! I've been in "I need to pick up groceries" mode for a week but I keep putting it off a day, yk?

Is anyone else struggling emotionally/mentally with this, or just me?
post #37 of 52
6/17/06 at 10:39am
Oh, Atilla, I'm so SICK of not having money to go buy whatever we want for food! We were at a play date yesterday and they asked us to stay to dinner and split a pizza, and I couldn't PAY for it...but I offered to make dough...*sigh* some day, mama! I totally understand your pain. I, too, have a rather full pantry of boring "basics." Beans, rice, pasta, tomaotes, flour, rolled oats. If it weren't for the CSA box, we'd have almost zero produce, but the pantry is full of basics...and I'm running out of planning ideas that excite ANYBODY. So, know that there's somebody out there who understands.

And thanks for the encouragement. You're right. Mexican carry-out has been on my mind for almost three full weeks. Pizza cost two thirds less, so I guess it wasn't so bad!
post #38 of 52
6/17/06 at 10:40am
Hmmmmm. Speaking of mexican...we're going to a picnic today, but perhaps we'll have to have that taco casserole with the jiffy mix cornbread tomorrow. I DO have beans, rice, and that cornbread mix...and everybody liked it. Here we go!
post #39 of 52
6/17/06 at 1:00pm
Ok, I have a challenge for everyone -

I need a good hot weather meal to bring to a family gathering tomorrow using just basics. I have many staples - lots of grains, flours, beans, spices, herbs, oils, nuts, a little bit of cheddar cheese, alot of canned foods like corn and tomato products. I can afford to buy a little something - like $5 worth. As for fresh veggies I have very little - onions, potatoes, a yam, a zucchini, kale... I also have TVP, a block of tofu, some tempeh...

Help?

(ps. Since we can't afford to buy FIL a Father's Day present I want to bring him a treat. Problem is it's humid and 90 degrees and I can't see baking cookies or muffins. Any ideas?)
post #40 of 52
6/17/06 at 9:55pm
We have tons of rice so this is what I am making this week for our meals...

Sloppy Joes over rice (we use rachel ray's recipe but omitted the meat. YUM)
Chicken Stir Fry (chicken, rice, soy sauce, and then whatever veggies)
Chicken Skillet Dinner (basically chicken in the skillet with veggies cooked in white sauce and then layered on rice)
Meatball Stroganoff (instead of putting this on noodles, we are doing rice)
Rice and Beans with Salsa, Cheese, and Avacado

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